A high point of our Alaska adventure was the three days we spent at
Denali National Park and Preserve.

Denali, "the high one", is the name Athabascan native people gave to the
20,320 foot peak that crowns the Alaska Range. Officially called
Mount McKinley, both names are used for "The Mountain." "Denali" is the
name favored by most Alaskans.

Established as Mount McKinley National park in 1917, as a game refuge,
and expanded several times since then. It was renamed Denali
National park and Preserve in 1980.

The park road extends about 85 miles from the Visitor Centor to
Kantishna - all still inside the park.

6,000,000
acres - larger than Massachusetts
About 6,000 animals (39 kinds of mammals)
167 kinds of birds
No reptiles, and only one amphibian (frog)

Our first day was devoted to taking the Tundra Tour. A National
Park Service bus takes you 50 miles into the park, making several
scenic/rest stops, and then returns. Since public vehicles are not
allowed into the park (beyond the Savage River checkpoint), NPS bus is
the only way to see the park.

We enjoyed the 6-hour trip quite a bit. The guide was
knowledgeable about all aspects of the park; the history, the geology,
the different kinds of plants and flowers, the animals, and interesting
details like the history of specific wolf packs.

All transportation
within the park is by bus - into the park, from the train to the hotel,
from the hotel to the park, from the Visitor's Center to the Wildlife
Access Center (which is also the transportation center)

Denali National Park

Near the entrance

Yearling female moose,
right in front of the park headquarters
Moose are right up where people can interact with them,
but they (the mooses) are easily spooked and shouldn't be approached

Denali National Park

Parry's Wallflower (Mustard
Family)

Teklanika River

At the Teklanika River rest stop

The nails were put into the sign
to prevent bears from chewing on the sign